


The Broken Road to Happiness

by Mewsic



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Crossover, Depression, F/M, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-06 20:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14655120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mewsic/pseuds/Mewsic
Summary: This is a story about how one can overcome grief, find happiness, and learn to love...even in the toughest of times. Like crashing a bike and ending up in a strange, new world full of mushroom people, elves, and magic.Read, Review, and Enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Damn, I'm out of wine_  I thought to myself as I lifted the glass to my lips. I'm generally not the type of person to drown away my sorrows, but after the day I had, the only thing I wanted was to become friends with the lonely bottle of merlot on the top of the cupboard. I knew it would kick me in the ass later, but I didn't care. I just wanted to indulge in a self-pity exercise.

As I walked across the room to where the bottle sat, I thought of the depressing day I experienced. It was my fifteen-year reunion. High school was never extraordinary to me; I spent most of my time helping my parents take care of my older sister, who was battling Leukemia. Instead of going to parties, games, and dances, I frequented hospitals and doctor's offices. My family encouraged me to do everything a "normal teenager" would, but I found myself wanting to spend almost every moment with my sister. That left little time to really be social. With that being said, I wasn't a poor student by any means. I had a lot of interests, got decent grades, but never had the time or confidence to participate in activities other than what was necessary to graduate. I had a few close friends, but they faded as I spent more time with my sister and they prepped for college. Looking back, all I really remember about high school is that I got by.

Shortly after I graduated, my sister passed away. My family and I began to heal, and I had hopes of going to college to make something of myself; I learned quickly life was hard, and extremely unfair. My parents died in a car crash, and I felt I had died, too. I had no one. I stayed at the small house I inherited, working meaningless jobs to pay the bills, existing but not really living. It took years of grief counseling and self healing to finally find my inner spark again and make a change. I started off great, gathering materials for different colleges, flipping through pamphlets, and creating lists of possible degrees. I met new people, even went on dates. I tried a few new things and felt optimistic. But, as the year progressed, my motivation fizzled out. There were bumps trying to get into school. My dates reached a plateau and never progressed into anything serious. I didn't give up on things, but I didn't try really hard, either. My familiar, yet lifeless routine that I had previously established was starting to make a comeback.

When I signed up for the reunion in April, I was excited about the reunion…but now in the middle of July, I dreaded it. I only went because I wasn't about to waste $75 I had to pay for "delightful dinner and dancing." My means of transportation is my bike and public transportation. Living in Phoenix, one of the hottest cities in the United States, it was already 100 degrees by ten in the morning. By the time I got there, I was hot, sweaty, and grumpy.

When I entered the grand ballroom, I saw pictures of the past plastered along the walls with a giant welcome sign. Groups of former classmates lingered with their friends, reliving memories and sharing their new lives. I tried scanning the crowd for a familiar face, but none were there. On one end of the large room a slide show labeled "Changes" played.  _What a corny name_ I thought,  _but I guess all reunions have to be a bit cheesy._  I stood and watched pictures and bios of my former classmates until my name flashed on the screen with a picture of me on my bike.

_Jelina Marie O'Dell_

_Home: Phoenix, Arizona_

_Occupation: Sales Associate_

_Hobbies and Interests: Bike Riding_

I cringed. I remembered submitting the "where are you now" questionnaire, or rather just sending it in almost completely blank. I did like the picture, though, and recalled how happy I was that day. I just got my new bike and was excited to ride. My skin was a golden tan, and my mocha colored hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. I was actually smiling…not one of the lack luster smiles that I often gave, but the kind that reached my bright green eyes. While I had a brief moment of bliss captured on the screen, it was short lived and couldn't compare to everyone else in the slideshow.

" _Oh, I have three kids now!"_

" _My husband and I went to Spain last year!"_

" _I am opening a few more branches of my company in California this month!"_

" _Blah, blah, blah…"_

It was all too much for me, to realize the failure that I was, to accept what I had not achieved or become. I tried talking to a few people, but it was like talking to a wall. Most took a while to remember me, which I couldn't blame them. One person remarked how I had potential for something, for what I wasn't sure as she quickly saw her old best friend and excused herself. I was given the polite questions of "Where are you now," and "What are you doing." It was monotonous, and with each conversation, I became more and more depressed. Keeping a smile on my face was difficult, but I was doing alright. That is until someone mentioned how sorry they were for the death of my sister and parents. I felt my mind grow numb with misery, and I didn't stay for the dinner and dancing; instead, I took the first bus back to my place, and cried.

I reached for the bottle and it was drained. I was surprised I already downed it.  _Pathetic_ my inner voice moaned. I know I didn't need any more to drink, but I did need something to eat. It was evening, and while still warm, it had cooled down enough for me to ride my bike. Phoenix had wonderful Mexican food, and I knew of a local place with amazing tacos. I needed to ride; it always cleared my mind. I threw on my jeans and grabbed my jacket. It may have been hot out, but I knew the restaurant would be chilly. I put my jacket along with a few other things in my bike basket, including a small journal that was always with me, donned my favorite purple helmet, and hit the road.

Dinner was, as I expected, delicious. Marc, the owner, must have known I had a rough day, because he threw in some extra guacamole for free, along with a very, very strong margarita. While riding home, I could feel the sweat encasing my face, causing my head to itch under my helmet. I needed to brighten up my mood. The streets were quiet, allowing me to hear the music I had playing from the iPod attached to my bike. I listened to a fast-paced song, one that made me pedal harder. I wasn't athletic, but riding a bike everywhere helped keep me in shape. Up ahead, yellow and gold lights flashed signifying a construction zone. I groaned, noticing the bike lane was completely closed. As I approached the construction site, I checked the street for signs of traffic. It was completely empty.

As I crossed in front of the construction site, I noticed a change in the road. While I was not completely drunk, my judgment was far from accurate. I was too close to the tape and the paper ropes grazed my skin. The road, once smooth and flawless, became jagged and shaky. I immediately slowed down, fearing I would lose control. The uneven surface I was riding on made my head pound and my teeth chatter inside my mouth. I was going to have a lot of regrets in the morning. I was almost across the street when my front tire hit something, what I imagined to be a pot hole, except I didn't see anything.

It all happened so quickly. My body toppled forward as the bike slipped from under me. I tightly grasped on to the handles, though any hope of a delicate fall was gone.  _Shit shit shit...wait, how did I get so high up in the air? Why haven't I hit the ground yet?_  I felt strange, like I was free falling.  _Am I falling down a drain?_  As soon as the question popped into my mind, I hit the ground and blacked out.

***

I was afraid to open my eyes, afraid to see the damage the fall had caused. My entire body ached. I had fallen off my bike before, but never quite to this extent. I moved my head and noticed I was laying on something soft.  _Soft?_  Rocks and concrete weren't soft. As my senses continued to emerge, I smelled grass.  _Grass?_ Sure, some people had little plots of grass outside their homes, but the area I lived had typical desert landscape. Was I hallucinating? Did I hit my head so hard my senses were confused?

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I was immediately blinded by light.  _How long was I out for?_  I closed my eyes again, thinking of when I left the restaurant.  _It was night, I think around eight or nine o'clock. Was I really out all night?_ I found it hard to believe that someone would leave me sprawled out in the street all night.  _Was I kidnapped?_ My thoughts became frantic, and again, I became too scared to open my eyes again. If I was kidnapped, no one would know I was gone for a few days. By then I could be a goner.  _No, no, no!_  I repeated the words over and over to myself.  _I wanted a change, and yes, I was a little dramatic for things not being as great as they could be, but I do not want to die! I don't want to be remembered as the girl who took a bike ride and never returned._  I forced myself to breathe slowly.  _Breathe in…breathe out…breathe in…breathe out…_  I began to calm down and braced myself for the inevitable; I had to open, and keep open, my eyes.

I put my hands over my face to shield my eyes from the sun. Slowly, I began seeing light. When my sight fully emerged, I was taken back. I was not in a grassy patch, but rather a field of green. There was green everywhere! My breathing began to increase, and I felt my heart pump faster, trying to beat right out of my chest. My anxiety came back to me, and it took me quite a while to calm down enough to think rationally.  _Maybe this is a dream. I was drunk, came home, passed out, and am just having a wacky dream._ While I have been known to have some vivid dreams, I have never smelt or felt anything in my dreams. This was too real. I brushed aside that idea.  _Maybe I hit my head really hard, causing a concussion, and I'm hallucinating. I did fall pretty hard_. I felt my head, and noticed my helmet was fully intact. Carefully, I lifted the helmet from my head. No blood. No scratches or major wounds. My head was essentially untouched. I had a little headache, but it felt more like a hangover than from a bike wreck. And the more I thought of it, the less I thought that scenario to be plausible. I had a concussion once, and it just made me confused and sleepy. Here, in this very moment, the blades of grass cushioned my body, the cool breeze tickled my face, and the sun lightly kissed my skin. This wasn't a hallucination; this was real.

I looked around and saw my bike resting on its side. Like me, the bike suffered some surface wounds, but looked fully intact. My basket still contained everything, and the music from my iPod was still playing. I grabbed a pair of sun glasses from my basket, allowing me to really see the area. The sun was sitting lower on the horizon, and looking at my watch, it was about 6 in the morning. I was surprised on how chilly the air was, and grabbed my jacket out of the basket, turning off my iPod to better hear around me. Directly in front of me was nothing but endless blue sky and green fields; it was completely quiet. When a breeze blew past me, I heard the wind whistle in my ears.  _Did someone kidnap me and take me up north?_ I turned around, almost passing out again with what I saw.

"You have GOT to be kidding me. What the hell…" I whispered, unable to keep the thought inside my head. I was NOT in Phoenix, or Flagstaff, or even what looked like Arizona. In the distance stood a large white and red castle. Puffs of smoke emerged from one of the towers. Surrounding the castle was what looked like white cotton balls placed on top of thick tree trunks. I continued to look in a full circle, taking in the rest of my surroundings. I had no clue where I was, but all thoughts of logic and reason were immediately gone. I curled up in the grass, closing my eyes and secretly wishing I'd wake back up in my room, sore and hungover.

After an hour of lying motionless, I came to the conclusion that if I wanted to have any hopes of surviving I needed to go head towards the castle. The thought scared me; what if the inhabitants were violent or barbaric? Did I travel back in time? Am I even on the same planet?  _I wish the Doctor would show up with his TARDIS...whisk me away and take me back to Phoenix._  I needed to focus and start heading to the castle. I wasn't only intimidated by the prospect of being an unwelcomed visitor, but I was frightened of being out in the open alone and vulnerable. I didn't know what type of animals lived here, and I didn't want to unknowingly become a snack.

Once I made the decision to move, it took me a while to actually move. My body felt like a boxer had used it as a punching bag. My regrets of drinking as much as I did were in full force, as my head was pounding. I did not have a choice, however, and sitting around was not going to do me any good. I was glad I still had some water and pain reliver tucked in my bag. I turned back on my music, hoping that would give me some motivation to keep going. I pedaled cautiously as I braced myself for the unknown.

The travel was not as bad as I thought. I noticed many strange objects along my way. Large brick blocks floated in the air. I stopped to examine one more closely, curious on how it was hovering. It was several feet above me, silently floating in place. A large question mark glistened on the side, which further fed my curiosity. I had to suppress myself from touching the block. I was fearful that a bomb or defensive device was inside and would hurt me with the slightest touch. Or maybe it was a trap. Either way, I rode away before my curiosity could possibly get me into serious trouble. Along with these strange floating blocks were large pipes. They varied in height and color, but all were wide enough for a large person to fit in. I approached a pipe that was close to my eye level and thought my bike could have easily fit in the hole. I noted to myself that if I needed a hiding place, I could jump into one of the pipes.

As I got closer to the castle, details that I could not see in the distance emerged. The cotton ball-tree trunk fixtures began to take shape. They appeared to be large mushrooms. Circles of various colors accented the white tops.  _What are they?_ I pondered. I couldn't see enough details to know for sure what they were. More details became visible on the castle. A large stained-glass window displaying a woman sparkled in the sunlight, and a flag bearing a mushroom with a crown flapped in the wind. I wondered what the fixation with mushrooms were; I knew places had themes relevant to objects of importance. Phoenix, after all, was the valley of the sun, and it wasn't uncommon to see shops bearing a flag or sign with a sun on it, or the mythological phoenix bird.  _They must really like mushrooms, or high all the time_ was all I could conclude.

It wasn't until my iPod started warning me the battery was low that I was aware of how long I had been traveling. I stopped and drank the last bit of water out of my bottle, and I became aware of the pains in my stomach. Food, I needed food. I hadn't eaten all day, and my stomach wasn't prepped for a long day of traveling. I looked in my basket for something to eat…maybe I left something in there from a previous bike ride. I was lucky! Hidden at the bottom of my basket was a single granola bar. It wasn't much, but it would at least put something in me and give me a boost until I got to the town. I ate slowly, enjoying every bite the small bar offered. It was time to go, as the sun was sinking to the ground. My daylight hours were approaching an end.

It felt quiet without my music pumping me along, but it was probably good I didn't ride into town with strange music blaring. I wanted to check out the area before approaching anyone, and music would be a dead giveaway of my presence. I wasn't sure how I was going to cross the moat in the front of the castle, so I decided to follow the path that was on the side of the castle. The grass under my bike began to be replaced with yellow bricks. I laughed, thinking of the movie  _The Wizard of Oz_. More and more of the question mark blocks, as well as plain brick blocks, scattered the skies and emerged on the ground. A small brick fence began to encase the path I was taking, growing higher and higher the further I traveled. The castle no longer was part of the landscape; it began filling the space in front of me. I saw more details on the mushrooms, and gasped. Mushroom houses! I was entering a town! How did I not figure this out before? Other oddly shaped homes were mixed in with the mushroom houses. There were houses in the shape of a brown mushroom, and some shaped like a giant turtle shell. I smiled when I saw familiar looking thistle roofed cottages. The place had a welcoming sense to it, and my fears began to go away as I surveyed the cozy little homes.  _Maybe this won't be so bad after all_  I optimistically thought.

That thought quickly left my mind as I saw what emerged from one of the mushroom homes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I rubbed my eyes and did a double take. The creature was small, probably smaller than my five-foot two height. Its head was large with what looked like a turban on top. The turban was colored in a similar fashion as the house he emerged from. His body was tubular, with short arms and stumps for legs. He looked like a colorful, walking mushroom. I knew that this couldn't be…mushrooms are things in the ground, things a person eats. I saw him walk away, thankfully in the opposite direction than where I was positioned. I looked for other life forms, but no one else was out. I quickly entered the town and ran in a dark space between two houses. I positioned myself to observe, not to be seen. What kind of place did I land in? My previous thought of being on a different planet came to mind.  _Could it be possible? Was I abducted and landed in some foreign planet where fungi were the intelligent beings? Did they pick people to eat?_

I tried not to let my mind wander too far as I was afraid I would go in to hysteria. I needed to remain  _somewhat_  calm. I couldn't stay in this alley; I had to find some food, water, and shelter. I needed someplace safe.  _Is there any safe place for me_? I continued to watch in my nook, waiting for more creatures to pass. As the sunlight faded away, streetlights began turning on, and I heard an excited chatter of voices.

"Are you looking forward to the Starlight Ball? It's only a few weeks away!" a high-pitched voice giggled. I was baffled that they were speaking my language. I wasn't going to try to understand how or complain, though; I knew what they were saying, and that's all I cared about.

"Oh yes! It's been too long since we've had any celebrations in this town. Do you know who you are taking?" another asked.

The first voice continued to giggle, failing to give a reply. Her giggling became louder, and she was practically next to my hiding spot. I pushed myself back as far as I could go, hoping my bike and I were not visible. The second voice, which sounded a little older, continued on. "Well, you have plenty of toads to choose from! I hear Evan is single, and I know for a fact that Triston likes you." Their soft footsteps stopped, and I held my breath. I could see the outline of two mushrooms in front of me. "Is this where we are meeting Annetta?"

The giggling one nodded her head, apparently still thinking of her many "toad" options. The other solemnly continued, letting out a heavy sigh. "Even though it's going to be a lot of fun, I can't help but think poor Luigi," the creature's head shook as it spoke. The giggling stopped, and a sharp intake of breath was clearly audible. "You know, I don't think I saw him at the dedication. In fact, if he goes I think this will be his first public appearance since-"

The voice was suddenly cut off by a loud greeting. "Tinny! May! Sorry I'm late, had trouble with my shell." I was expecting another mushroom to arrive, but instead a large turtle approached. The turtle must have been as tall as I was, if not taller. It practically over powered the small mushroom people. I was unable to make out any more details, but it took all my will power not to bolt out of my spot, screaming and running away from the creatures.

"It's ok! We were just talking about the ball and all of May's possible dates." The giggling resumed, and the three voices trailed off as they walked away from the alley.  _Walking turtles? Talking mushrooms? What else? Are there any humans around?_  I tightly wrapped my arms around my legs, resting my head on my knees. Hot tears ran down my face as I rocked silently in my space. My mind raced, and I yearned for my home. I promised myself I would enroll in college first thing, and I'd stick to it this time. I closed my eyes, trying to pretend everything in front of me was just a figment of my imagination. But I knew when I opened them nothing would have changed.

I must have dozed off in the alley because when lifted my head it was completely dark. The streetlights were brightly lit, and I was able to see with more clarity the things that passed. Occasionally more mushroom people passed and I was able to see that they, like people in my world, did not look the same. They all were rather small, but their turban hats bared different colors. Some had additional shapes emerging from their head with what I guessed to be hair. I saw more turtles with red, green, pink, and blue shells; they wore shoes, and I even saw one walk by with high heels. I began to become desensitized, and the shock of walking turtles and mushrooms subdued. Either that or I was so delusional I didn't care. When they walked by, their conversations were not that much different than people had in Phoenix: work, school, politics, and parties. Still, I was not confident enough to approach them, even if they did seem 'friendly.'

Eventually I saw a third creature walk by, and if it weren't for the cheerful sounding conversation he and a mushroom were having, I would have thought he was dangerous. He was extremely small, smaller than the mushroom person beside him. He looked like a brown mushroom, except he had large eyes, black feet, and a rather large mouth. His mouth gleamed with white, pointed teeth. It was creepy to see him smile and talk about what he was going to have for dinner.

_Dinner_. The reminder of food made my stomach grumble. My little granola bar had worn off. My mouth felt sticky from thirst, and I could feel my head throb. I needed to find something, but where? I decided I needed to move further into the town. I checked the street for clearance, and when no one was around I bolted to another alley. I ran pretty far with my bike, making it a few streets down. I saw someone coming and dived between a mushroom hut and a small cottage. I shoved my bike in the very back and perched on the edge of darkness and light. A mushroom person passed, but unlike my last hiding spot, it walked rather fast, almost at a run. Everyone who passed practically ran past my hiding spot.  _Am I safe here?_ I wondered. No one looked comfortable, and I was nervous that I chose a dangerous hiding spot.

I heard a loud bang followed by a scream. "WHY YOU" was all I was able to make out, because the words were drowned out by a loud laugh. The laugh was very high pitched and came out in short bursts. I saw a turtle run past my spot, accompanied by a trail of black smoke. I coughed; the smoke smell was atrocious. The laugh became louder, and I slunk back further into the shadows, covering my face as to try to dampen the sounds of my coughing. Something ran by where I was hiding, and my coughing became sputters.  _Legs, human legs._  The person ran by so quick I wasn't completely sure if it was a human but was almost positive it was. I inhaled a brave breath and peeked around the corner, letting the light shine on me.

The man was extremely tall. He would have easily been a valued member of any basketball team, regardless if he had any sport skills; he could have stood next to a basket and simply place it through the hoop. Not only was he tall, but he was very slender. I could not see his face, but on top of his head was a large purple hat. His clothes didn't look too different than what men I was used to seeing, wearing jeans, a dark purple shirt, and white gloves. He was mocking the turtle, imitating smoke coming from his backside and running in a circle. I didn't listen to what he was saying; I was too fixated that there was a human in this town. I heard movement in the house next to me, and a mushroom person emerged from the front door.

"Are you up to no good again? It's late, and SOME of us have to get up in the morning." The voice was annoyed and pointed at the tall man with the purple hat. "PLEASE quiet down."

The man simply replied "I am always up to no good! What is life without a little mischief and mayhem?" He laughed, "I'm going home now, so wittle mushwoom can go sweepy sweep." The mushroom person grunted and immediately slammed his door shut.

The man turned around, and I ducked back in the darkness. He walked past me, stopping at the small cottage.  _This must be his home_. I needed to talk to him, find out information. I didn't have many choices, as he was the only human I had seen all day. I waited for him to go inside; I thought it would be creepy popping out of the dark alley, saying "help me, stranger!" I left my bike and prepared myself; I gathered all the courage I could muster, brushed off some dirt off my white shirt, and lifted my hand to the door.  _Here goes nothing_ ,I told myself, and knocked.

"I'm busy! This better be important!" I heard faint voices coming from the house, and footsteps approach the door. Without warning, the door flew open. The man surveyed me, taking in my desperate appearance. My eyes starting to lose focus and I grabbed the frame of the door. My hunger was beyond reasoning, and I was becoming dizzy. "What kingdom were you dragged in from?" I blankly stared back at him, unable to comprehend his joke. "You're a little too…" he flicked my sweat caked bangs away from my eyes, "messy for my taste. I think you are more my brother's type. Sloppy and smelly." He laughed and turned around to close the door. I reached at him, pleading him to stop with my impulsive move. "Woah there, I've been known to have ladies desperately falling for my devilish looks, but you smell worse than Wario's bathroom." I clung on to his shirt, afraid if I moved I would pass out.

"Please. I need help…food…water…" I trailed off, my words barely audible. All the confidence and energy I had left when I stood up. "Please," I cried. His face suddenly changed. It was hard to make out his exact features, as my vision was blurred, but I think he became concerned.

"Sorry, toots, I thought Wario sent you as a joke. Gee, you look like hell. Come on," he said, ushering me to his couch. I was too out of it to be offended by the use of calling me "toots." The stranger ran to another room, and I felt my eyelids becoming heavier. He came back with a glass of water and a plate that had a sandwich and a rather large white and red mushroom. "Eat this first," he said, forcing the mushroom in my weak hands. I didn't know what it was, but I was beyond questioning. I took a bite and it wasn't like any mushroom I have ever eaten in my life. Its texture was light, almost like I was eating cool air. I felt the coolness travel through my body, but instead of making me cold, it gave me strength. My vision began to return, and while I remained hungry, I wasn't feeling ill. I finished the rest of it and reached for the water. Water never tasted so amazing. "All I had was bologna, so if you don't like that, you're out of luck."

Now that my vision was back to normal, I studied the man more closely. His face was elongated, and he had a very long and thin mustache. His nose was rather large, pointed, and very red…like a person who was washing their face and scrubbed their nose a little too hard. I also noticed that he had pointed ears...maybe he was an elf? His dark eyes surveyed me as he rubbed his hands through his dark brown hair. He was kind of cute in an alternative rock kind of way. "Thanks, it's great," I muttered, biting into the sandwich. "What was that other thing you gave me? Was it some sort of drug?" Should I be worried?

He looked puzzled. "A power up? You're kidding me, right?" I shook my head and continued to finish the sandwich. "You don't know what you just ate?" I shook my head again.

"Not the mushroom. I know what bologna is." He surveyed me, and I could almost see the gears in his head turning.

"I've never seen you around Toad Town…or the Mushroom Kingdom, come to think of it. Who are you?" I wasn't sure how to answer his question. How do I explain I am from another possible world? Should I just outright say it? I slowly chewed the sandwich, buying time and thinking of the best approach. I decided to be honest, but not give away too much detail; I wasn't ready for a long conversation. "My name's Jelina, and no, I'm not from here." I drank the rest of my water and sat quietly. I had a million questions brewing in my head, but now was not the time. I'm sure he had a million questions to ask me, too.

"You don't talk much, do you sweet cakes?"

"Sweet cakes? Toots? What's with all the cheesy names?" I asked. I hoped he didn't think I was THAT type of lady. "Is sweaty and smelly really your type, and you just don't want to admit it?" I couldn't imagine I looked in any sort of condition to be hit on! And it would have been a little awkward. A moment later I realized what I just blurted out; I put my hands over my mouth and felt my face redden.

He smirked, not answering my question. "So really, where are you from? And more importantly, why are you at my house?" I gazed blankly for a minute, face still red, and he continued. "You look liked you were on the wrong end of a bob-omb." He stared intently at me, making it clear I was not able to avoid his question.

"The desert, I'm from the desert. I'm not sure where I am right now, though, or where I'm going. So…I guess you can say I'm lost." It was the truth, maybe not the entire truth, but a chunk of it.

He became angry at this news. "Sarasaland? You mean to tell me that YOU are from Sarasaland? How dare you show your face at my house…" his face became violently red and his hands were trembling, "…I know traveling is now  _easy_  for you after…"

"No!" I frantically waved my hands. "No, I've never even HEARD of Salad Land!"

The color drained from his face, as well as mine, and his affect returned to a calmer state. "Sa-ra-sa Land. Not Salad Land," he annunciation. His mood lightened, and he laughed at my pronunciation mistake. "Sorry, I am not too happy with them after some things that happened, and it's the only desert close by."

I noted to be cautious with the subject of this Sarrarra, or whatever it was called, Land. "Sorry, I've been traveling all day, and my mind is all jumbled." I put my hands on my face, and I could feel the tears coming back to my eyes. "I'm tired, and it's been a long, messed up trip."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't cry." He looked uncomfortable, squirming as he uneasily patted the top of my head. "Please, don't cry." I guess men of all worlds weren't comfortable with a blubbering, crying woman. "Do you have a place to stay at least?" I shook my head, the tears falling faster. "Any money? There's a toad hotel…" I shook my head, and tears fell faster down my face. I highly doubted that this place would take my debit card. I had nothing of real value except for my bicycle. Could I sell that for something? The thought sickened me, and I went from light crying to downright sobbing. He put his head in his hands and shook his head.

After a minute, he looked at me and sighed. "Look, you can crash here for the night. Don't think my place is some welcome mat, but the way you look, I don't think you are going to suddenly steal anything and run off. You wouldn't be hard to catch, either."

"I don't want to be a bother, I'm sorry…" I started apologizing and getting up to leave, but he grabbed my shoulder and held up his other hand.

"You're not sleeping on the streets." Even though his voice was firm, he still looked wary from my crying, which had settled down to a light stream.

I wiped tears off my face and forced a small smile at the stranger. Taking a deep, shuddering breath I forced myself to stop crying; he eased at this gesture. "I never got your name."

"Waluigi's the name, master of mischief and m-"

"-mayhem. I heard you outside," I finished for him. Waluigi. The name felt strange on my tongue, and hard to say. "Mind if I call you Wally?" He was taken aback by my question. Maybe he wasn't used to nick names, but he chuckled and I knew he wouldn't mind. He stood up and took my plate. I sat there, and suddenly let out a big yawn. "Wally?" He turned around, curiously studying me; I must have been a strange human to him. "I have a bike outside…will it be safe in the alley? Should I lock it up somewhere or is it ok to leave it? I also have some things in my basket-"

He smirked, cutting me off before I could finish. "-no one messes with anything near my house, unless they want to be set on fire." He walked into the kitchen, and I saw him peer out a tiny window, I assumed to make sure my bike was still there. I tried to keep my eyes open but lost the battle. Lying down on the couch, I drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I stretched then recoiled in the blanket on Wally's couch. Sometime in the middle of the night he had given me a warm, purple blanket and a pillow.  _That was really sweet of him_. I heard the television in the other room, and the smell of bacon and toast filled the house.  _Mmm, I'm glad that there is edible food in this world_. "Wally?" I groaned as I started sitting up. He popped his head in the doorway, wiggling his eyebrows.

"That's not all you were saying in your sleep, sweetheart." I clapped my hands over my mouth.  _Did I say something? Was I talking in my sleep?_  My eyes widened, and his face changed. "Geez, I'm just kidding. You slept like a rock. Although, you did drool a lot. I thought a river was flowing out of your mouth." I scowled but couldn't deny it; my pillow was saturated. "Hungry?" I nodded, dragging myself off of the couch.

Getting up, I took a better look at Wally's place. Wally's living room was small with a white couch, chair, and small black coffee table in the center. The walls were a deep royal purple and were mostly bare with the exception of two shelves full of odd looking tools and weapons. One lone picture frame hung on the wall. I walked over to the frame, looking at the two things inside. One was a picture of Wally with his arm over a very pretty woman. She was wearing a yellow and white tennis outfit, embroidered with white flowers. Her hair was a tarnished red, and she had a wide smile. Wally was dressed in a purple shirt and athletic shorts, and both had metals around their necks. They looked happy, and I wondered if that was his girlfriend. The next paper was a news clipping. The heading read  _Tragedy befalls Sarasaland; Memories of the Late Daisy, Princess of the Desert._  My smile faded as I realized the article was about the lady next to Wally.  _That's why he got upset at the mentioning of the desert._  The article didn't give details but talked about the achievements that she made to her kingdom. She was described as feisty, outgoing, and loved by everyone. Sorrow washed over me, and I remembered the loss of my family. I shook my head, not wanting to think of that memory. Now wasn't the time to get depressed.

I entered the kitchen and was hit with vibrant yellow. The small black table had two plates filled with bacon, eggs, and toast. He was holding glasses filled with orange juice and motioned me to sit. I looked on the wall and saw a large map; I didn't recognize it at all. I was confused as to why clouds were considered a territory and wondered why the map had an outline of red and black. What also struck me as odd was there were small castles everywhere. And not just on the land; castles littered the clouds, sea, and red-black border. "Wow," I gasped.

"I know, I know, I'm such a stud for making breakfast, especially since I didn't get anything in return and the woman in front of me smells like…"

I glowered. "There are so many castles, and what are these red and black spots?"

"You really don't recognize anything on the map?"

"No. I need to talk to you about that." I decided I needed to be able to trust someone. I felt like Wally, as crazy as he was, had his heart was in the right place. That and I didn't have any other options. But I needed to tell him what happened, because this was not a place where I was able to make up things as I go; it was too strange of a land. I sat down at the table, picking up my fork. "Thanks for the blanket last night, and for the food. And big thanks for letting me crash here. You've been more than generous and hospitable, especially since I probably look crazy."

He blushed but hid it well. "Awe, I usually don't take in your type, but it didn't look like you'd be able to make it to Wario's that late at night." Quite the joker, Wally was. "So, what do you need to talk to me about?"

"I'm not from here."  _That's it, Jelina, just be blunt. Forward. Less chance to chicken out._  "I'm from another world…an alternate universe or something. I haven't quite figured it out yet."

Wally apparently was not expecting me to say that. He choked and spit out some of his juice. His expression was a mixture of bemusement and skepticism. My face reddened with embarrassment.

"Seriously, I think I am." I stood up, pointing at the map. "Have you ever heard of the city Phoenix in Arizona? It's a city in the desert." His face went blank. "I didn't think so. I'm from the United States, located in North America, one of the seven continents on the world, a world that looks NOTHING like this map." I nervously rambled. He continued to look blankly at me. "I think I fell into a hole in the road that led me to your world during a bike ride. I shouldn't have been riding to begin with because I had some alcohol, and Arizona has a zero-tolerance policy, even on a bike. I could have gone to JAIL. But you know what? I was a little depressed because it was my reunion. I drank that  _entire_  bottle of wine and a huge margarita that was more like the size of a pitcher, and I don't regret it. The wine wasn't that good, actually, it tasted like shit. And drinking that much did give me a splitting headache. I guess that's what I get for buying cheap wine, so maybe I do regr…" Wally abruptly put his hand over my mouth.

"Hold on. I don't care about your disgusting wine. You're losing me. Please, what is the point?" He wasn't angry, but I heard frustration in his voice. He moved his hand away from my mouth to my shoulders. "Calm down. Focus…you're sounding like a paranoid toad being chased by a bandit."

 _Breathe, Jelina. In…out…_  "Ok, I went on a bike ride and came across a construction site. I crossed the road and hit a hole. My bike and I flipped, I blacked out, and when I woke up I was here." That sounded better. I waited for his reaction, but he kept his hands on my shoulder, frozen like a statue. "I rode my bike across a prairie, towards the giant castle. I was afraid of all the creatures walking around, so I hid in alleyways. When I saw you, another  _human_ , I approached you. I don't know where I am, how I technically got here, and what I'm supposed to do." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I am bothering you," I meekly said. And I really was. This was a lot for a person to handle, and I'm sure this was all over his head. "If you want to kick me out, I understand. Your hospitality has been more than deserved."

Wally frowned, taking in my story, then pointed map. "We are in the Mushroom Kingdom, specifically Toad Town. Those creatures you were talking about in the town were probably Koopas, Goombas, and Toads." He pointed to a castle on the map. "This is where you are. Princess Peach and her court rein over all the towns, villages, and cities in this area," he showed me, circling a large section in the middle of the map. I was glad he wasn't mocking me right now. His sense of humor didn't bother me; I found it harmless. If Wally didn't try to lay a hand on me last night when I was at my weakest, I didn't think he would start now. "Did you see any water where you landed? Or a forest?"

"No, only endless, flat green."

Wally studied the map as I gave him this information. "Hmm…you must have dropped out somewhere around here. Not too far if you were able to make the trip in one day…" He pointed to a spot on the map, but I had no clue where it specifically was. "Were there any pipes nearby?"

I thought of the large pipes I saw along my trip and tried to remember if there were any near where I landed. "I don't think so…it's hard to remember…" I trailed off. "No, I think it was quite a while before I saw anything. By the way, what were those floating question mark blocks? Were they bombs?"

Wally was still staring at the map when he answered. "Those are power blocks. They spit out coins, mushrooms, stars, and other things that might be handy. The kingdom put those out years ago so there wouldn't be piles of dead travelers along the way." I shuddered. "Makes people not want to visit the towns, bad for business. Would YOU want to visit an area if you knew the trip would kill you? Those blocks were put up before modern piping was established. Though, the pipes are not always reliable." He growled the last statement.

I sat back down and continued eating my breakfast while he pondered over the map. He eventually joined me, devouring the rest of his meal. We finished eating in silence, and when done, he stood up to take the dishes. "Babe, don't get me wrong, you're cute and all, but you really need to clean up. You're covering up the wonderful aroma of bacon." I looked down at my shirt and he was right; it was disgusting. I wasn't at the point where I could smell my own stench, but I knew I was pretty bad. "Go take a bath. I have a few things I need to do, but please, go clean up."

"I don't have any clothes besides these." He walked in a door and motioned me to follow. His room, like the rest of the house, was small. A long bed practically took up one side of the wall. Shelves covered the other, holding more of the odd weapons and tools, as well as piles of books. A tv was jammed in one of the shelves, and a radio sat close beside it. Two doors were directly in front of me: one to the bathroom, the other a closet. He walked into the closet and threw out a large purple shirt. I caught it and held it up to me. It looked like it could have been a dress.

"You're incredibly tiny. That should cover you up until your clothes are clean. Unless you want to walk around naked…I won't object if you have the urge." He wiggled his eyebrows and twirled his mustache. "But it won't be a nudist colony. I prefer to keep my clothes on right now. Don't want you to violate me."

I busted out laughing. He joined in, too. "Don't worry, I won't violate you. But I think I'll wear clothes, thanks." He looked at me, more serious this time.

"We'll find where you came from and get this sorted out. I'll throw your clothes in the wash, you enjoy your bath. There should be a new toothbrush under the sink, too. You'll need that to fix your dragon breath." He started to walk away and I headed toward the bathroom. He stopped, turning to look at me. It looked like he was debating on whether or not he wanted to say what was on his mind. "You know, I'm only joking around with you, right? I would never do anything." I stared at him, smiling.

"I know. Do you think I'd still be hanging around if I thought you were going to hurt me?"

He still eyed me skeptically. "Did you have much of a choice?"

I went over to him and gave him a hug. It wasn't a romantic hug, but the type of hug I'd give to an older brother. The type of hug to show I really appreciated his help. He turned red, briefly hugging me back. Then he pushed me away.

"Enough hugging, you stink, and I don't want your smell to rub off on my clean clothes."

Waluigi was right, I did need a bath. I literally had to peel off my clothes. I felt a little strange handing him all my clothes, including my undergarments, through the crack in the door, but he thought nothing of it. I hear the machine starting, and knew he was good on his word that he'd immediately wash them. I slinked in the bathtub. It was huge, big enough to fit a minimum of two people my size. I relaxed in the warm water, letting the heat soak my cool bones. My body was covered in cuts and bruises. I traced some of the scratches, wondering how I even survived the fall.  _Was there a link between the construction zone and where I landed?_  Maybe there was a hole between worlds, and I fell through. It didn't make logical sense, but I stopped thinking logically a long time ago. I quit thinking about it momentarily and enjoyed the warm water encasing my body.

After an hour or so, I decided I'd better emerge from the water before I turned into a prune. I wanted to go on a bike ride and clear my thoughts, but I wasn't sure if today I was going to be able to. It was already mid-afternoon, and I didn't know when it would start getting dark. The purple shirt Wally gave me was soft, and thankfully it fell to my knees. I looked under the sink for a toothbrush and found an entire pile of them.  _Strange, but at least handy_ I thought. I couldn't say much; under my sink at home, I had mounds of extra personal care products for no reason whatsoever. After brushing my teeth with a soft, white toothbrush, I went towards the kitchen. Wally was on the phone. I stopped short, not wanting to interrupt his conversation.

"Just bring over a bag full…You know you owe me more than that…No, I'm not making up a ridiculous story…Yes, there really is a girl here…Whatever, Wario. It's not mom…Just get here this evening after dark…Don't make me have to go there…And tell Mona I want my tennis racket back." I heard a click of the phone, and decided it was safe to walk out. He didn't notice me; he was too focused on staring at the map.

"Boo," I quietly said behind him. He jumped, hitting his head on the low ceiling. I chuckled. "Gotcha. What are you looking at? Still wondering where I came from?" He nodded, rubbing the spot where he hit his head. I looked over at the map and pointed to the white, black, and red spots. "What are these?"

He looked at where I was pointing. "Just more kingdoms. The red is lava and volcanoes, black is Dark Land, and white are clouds. A lot of these places I've never been to, and hardly hear about. Some places keep to themselves." He scanned the map to show me a couple of examples. "Hyrule…Dreamland…DK Island...We never hear from them. Though I do have a distant cousin in Hyrule, sends me some good bombs from time to time. But that's beside the point. We mainly communicate with this section over here." The map was beautiful, and I thought it was amazing that kingdoms existed in the sky.

"You know, in my world, there aren't really kings and queens, kingdoms and castles…the age of royalty died centuries ago. And there certainly aren't any cities in the skies, unless you are watching cartoons."

"Really?" We walked to the living room and started chatting about the differences between our worlds. He was confused about the way my politics worked, but I told him they even confused me. "Sounds like a fancy popularity contest," he commented. There were other humans and human hybrids, but not many in Toad Town. Wally was part human, part something that was like an elf, but had a fancy name…something related to his distant cousin in Hyrule. He named off different animals and creatures, but I forgot most of the names after he said them. "Most are harmless, unless they're working for the oaf Bowser and he's having a fit. If he's mad, or has his mind set on something, you better cover your ass and run. Most of the time he's just a harmless oaf." Bowser sounded like a big bully to me. We talked about the busy cities, the quiet towns, and the weird places that I was better off not visiting. There was a lot to this new world, but besides the strange creatures, the basics weren't too different than my own.

We started talk about families, and I didn't have much to say. I told him I lived alone and my family had passed a while ago. Everyone else lived on the East coast, and I only met them a few times. Wally didn't care for his family much. "I wish they would move away. They get on my nerves," he griped. I thought this was a strange comment, seeing as I would love to have even a distant cousin take the slightest interest in me. But none of mine did. He briefly mentioned a few cousins that annoyed him, and that he had a sloppy brother. I heard a buzzer go off, and Wally motioned at the kitchen. "Your clothes are done." I excused myself so I could change. "Might as well keep the shirt, you'll need something to sleep in. Unless you want to sleep nak-"

"-I'll be right back. And I think I'll keep my clothes on. Wouldn't want to scare your neighbors." He shook his head and laughed. I must be one of the only people that joked around with him. It was strange, I thought as I walked towards the machine. I never really joked around with anyone when I was at home. I never was given much opportunity, though. My dad and I joked around a lot, when he was around. It was nice, and I enjoyed it. While some of his jokes were crude, they were entertaining. In our conversation he told me he liked to do a lot of pranks. All the weapons were used for jokes, which I scowled out. I told him jokes weren't funny unless both parties ended up laughing about it later. I sounded like my mom, but it was true. He shoved my comment aside, but he looked a little down before we changed topics. It was short, but I noticed it.

I grabbed my warm, freshly cleaned clothes out of the dryer. They felt amazing on.  _I never thought I'd be this excited to put on a plain white tee and jeans._  I went back to the living room, stopping in front of the picture frame. I pointed at the picture. "Was this a friend of yours?" He looked up and sighed.

"That was Princess Daisy. I used to have the hots for her, but she wasn't interested. After I quit pestering her for a date, we developed a love-hate relationship. She loved competitions and hated to lose. I, on the other hand, loved making her lose. It ended up being a fun game to see who could outwit the other first. It was hilarious watching her get angry, as long as you kept your distance. She knew how to throw a mean right hook." He laughed. There was a pause before he spoke again. "She was amazing…I miss her." I wondered if his more extreme pranks started when Daisy died.

"She sounded fun. I'm sorry for your loss." I didn't know what else to say. He stood up, standing next to me to look at the picture.

"Yes, yes she was." His stomach rumbled, and he patted his belly. "No need to get mopey, I'm ready to eat." He walked to the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Pizza sound good to you?"

Pizza came, and after eating five slices and a handful of breadsticks, which Wally made fun of me for, I was full. I sat on the couch, and he brought in the tv from his bedroom. "Why is that in your bedroom, anyway?" He shrugged, saying something on the order on how he likes to watch tv before he falls asleep, and he's too lazy to buy more than one tv. We started watching a sitcom that starred a pair of dinosaurs when there was a knock at the door. No, not a knock; there was a  _banging_  at the door. I thought whoever was on the other side was going to break the door down. "Must be Wario." Waluigi got up, muttering for Wario to hold on.

Wally opened the door, and a short, squat man with a yellow hat stomped through. Like Waluigi, Wario had a mustache, but his appeared to be a thin "W" shape. His face was very round, and he had one of those "butt chins." I was tempted to make a joke, but Wario did not look like the joking around type. Like his brother, he also had a large, pink nose that was like the rest of his features: rounded. His black leather jacket had yellow stripes along the side, and I could see his muscles bulge in the sleeves. He looked like a Hell's Angel's biker, and there was something unsettling about the way his squinty eyes surveyed me. I grabbed the blanket and shielded myself; I suddenly wanted to disappear from the man's presence.

"Ah, so you weren't lying. Who's the chick?" His voice was gruff and husky. I felt a chill when he talked and scrunched myself further into the couch. I didn't want to judge the man, but there was something about him I didn't like.

"Do you have the coins or not?" Wally glared at his brother. I noticed he never answered Wario's question on who I was, and I wasn't about to tell him my name. "Don't make me blow up your…"

"Fine. Take it," he grumbled, holding out a large brown sack. Wally snatched the bag, and Wario grimaced. It was like Wally was hurting him, but it was only a bag of coins; I didn't know why it was so painful to him. "We shouldn't fight in front of your  _guest_." Wario spoke slowly, emphasizing the word guest. "I need to talk to you." I saw him take a quick glance at me and point to the kitchen. "Now,  _brother_." Wario slowly walked past me, and I looked straight into his eyes. His eyes looked at me, hungrily. I held my breath, fear prickling my spine. Wally saw the exchange and pushed Wario into the kitchen.

"Why didn't you tell me you had such a pretty little thing here? Were you keeping her all for yourself?" I couldn't see how Wally reacted, but I heard him slam the fridge. "You know, Bowser is finally tiring of Peach's antics and is looking for a new catch. He's offering a lot of coins to anyone who can direct, or supply him with…"

Wally came in the living room and handed me a drink. "Toad Cola? I never asked for anything…" when I looked at his face, it was beet red. He was using this as an excuse to get away from his brother. "Oh," I murmured, and whispered "Thanks." Wario peeked his head around the corner, angry that his brother left in the middle their conversation. Wally closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and went back in the kitchen.

"Sorry, she wanted a drink right before you came, and I didn't get a chance to give her one." I secretly thanked him for saying "she."

Wario continued his thought. "SHE could make quite a few coins. Think of how rich we'd be." He waited and pressed on when there was no response. "You could finally get out of this shit hole and buy yourself a mansion. Think of all the gold we'd make…" He was practically giddy at the thought of turning me in for a mound of gold. "So, you in?"

"No. We are NOT handing her over to that hard-shelled ass hole." His tone was firm, nothing like the light-hearted prankster I was beginning to know.

"What's with the sudden hospitality? Why not, do you LIKE her? What did she do with you? Did she…"

"I do not like her. And no, Wario, she did not whore herself to me. She was merely in trouble and passing by, so I helped." Wario started saying something in a low tone that I could not understand. Suddenly Wally growled. "Get out, or I will shoot a rocket so far up your…"

"Fine." I saw Wario stomp out of the kitchen and stared at me again. The hungry look in his eyes intensified, and I knew what it was: Greed. I had a feeling things were not fine. Wally entered the room, ushering Wario to the door. He looked at his brother as he opened the door, saying as he left, "By the way, Mona broke your racket."


End file.
